How to Vote
If you’re a follower of Jesus – I don’t care who you vote for. There are sincere followers of Jesus who vote every which way. I do, however, care deeply how you vote. With mid-term elections happening tomorrow, the following are a few suggestions to help you prepare entering the voting booth.
a. You’re not voting in the Kingdom. Certain theological persuasions might insist upon this – that you’re voting for ‘God’s man or woman’ – but remember what Jesus said to the one who sat on the seat of the power of Rome: “My Kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). The systems and structures you are voting people into are not of the Kingdom of God – but of the kingdom of this world.
b. Don’t sell your birthright – Yes, you’re an American. But don’t sell being a son or daughter of God – don’t sell the unity of the body of Christ – don’t sell a Kingdom that will endure forever – for the fickleness and pseudo-satisfaction of political victory.
c. Love those you can’t stand or understand – Politics in the US is binary. You have two choices: your side, or not your side. The easy thing to do is demonize the other. Followers of Jesus have lost substantial witness by doing this. We really don’t sound any different than those who do not consider themselves Christian. We can disagree with policy. We can call evil by its name. We can still do so with love. It’s called being prophetic – and remember the prophets railed against their own ‘party’ more than any other.
When you’re in the booth tomorrow – here’s a challenge. Take to heart Jesus’ words in Luke 6: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Take a moment in the booth to pray a blessing for each candidate you don’t vote for. Thank God for them. Remember that they, like you, are image bearers of God.
d. Don’t vote if it will damage your heart – Biblically, the heart is synonymous with the spirit and will. It is the place where the Holy Spirit joins with our spirit – and out of which is produced the Spirit’s fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5). If you feel you cannot enter into the booth exemplifying those things: STAY HOME! Your heart is worth more than your vote. Proverbs 4:23 reminds us: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
e. Pray the Lord’s Prayer – Lastly, if you choose to vote, take a minute before you submit your votes to pray the Lord’s Prayer. As you do, you will have the opportunity to remember…
- It is God whose name is hallowed – not that of any candidate or party
- The Kingdom of God is not the kingdom of this world – and we are participating in a function of the kingdom of this world as we vote. We are also reminded that the Kingdom of God is demonstrated through the lives of followers of Jesus – so again, guard your heart
- Pray for daily bread – and remember those whose daily bread is not guaranteed. Daily bread can mean so many things – but to me, I most think of it as the ‘bread of presence’ – the Spirit – God with us. This is the bread we are meant to partake of
- Pray for forgiveness. Most importantly, remember how easy it is to overlook our own ‘log in the eye.’ It is easy to find the fault and evil in others – but let’s begin by confessing the same within ourselves
- Lead us not to temptation, but deliver us from evil – What is our ‘tempation’ as we cast our ballot?
I need to do all this before I vote? I don’t know, because I don’t know your motivations. However, I do know that discipleship – following the Jesus Way – takes time and intention. It shouldn’t be short and easy. It should be much more involved and sacrificial than the time it takes to vote.
